I'm back to my family home in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the Christmas period and thought I'd show some of my football (soccer) items purchased this year.
Original photos of Belfast Celtic from 1937/1938, 1940/1941 and 1946/1947 seasons. These were amongst the most successful seasons in the history of Belfast Celtic. The 1940/1941 photo is particularly poignant for me as in April 1941 (towards end of the 1940/1941 season), the city of Belfast suffered two particularly bad air-raids by German bombers which decimated much of the city.
The photos from 1940/1941 and 1946/1947 may not necessarily be considered "type 1" in a technical sense but they are original creations from the time. All three images were taken and mounted by R. Clements Lyttle, the then official photographic studio of the Northern Irish government.
Also, showing a Northern Ireland (also known as Ireland) shirt worn in the international versus Scotland in the 1936/1937 season and the honourary "cap" awarded to the player. This particular player was Davy "Boy" Martin, a very famous footballer of the era. He was nicknamed "Boy" both due to his small physical stature and the fact he was a drummer boy in his teenage years (he was an orphan) for the Ulster Rifles (British army regiment). His career would ultimately end due to injury sustained in the Second World War.
The sports outfitters (Athletic Stores, Belfast) noted on the collar is still here but, after 100 years, the distinctive building on Belfast's Queen Street will soon be demolished to make way for apartments. All rather sad.
Happy Christmas to everyone from Belfast, Northern Ireland.